There’s no way I’m getting my “20 best individual Phillies seasons” post up before I go on vacation, so I figured I should at least throw together a Ramblings.
- Brett Myers has been great since returning from his minor-league stint (4 GS, 2-0, 2.10 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and only ONE HR allowed). However, despite these numbers, he showed on Saturday night, with his spat at Charlie, why it’s going to take a lot more for me to believe he is back. He’s flat out immature, on several levels, and there is no way of predicting when someone will grow up. Maybe next week, maybe when he’s 33. Right now my money is on 33, probably when he goes and plays for Dave Duncan and the Cardinals.
- 3.27 ERA, 1.09 WHIP in 4 starts. “Joe Blanton is Adam Eaton” haters? Care to speak up? Oh that’s right, talk show hosts have no accountability.
- Carlos Carrasco is officially at the point where you check the paper every time he starts. The Phillies accelerated his arrival date by bringing him up to AAA, even though he hadn’t been dominant in AA. Lou Marson, his catcher, has said that the only thing holding Carlos back was confidence, and if the Phillies showed confidence in him, that might spark him. Well, it looks like it has. In his first two starts, here is his line: 12.2 IP, 0 ER, 14 K. Now, he hasn’t been as dominant as that may look (he’s had 5 unearned runs), but if he continues to pitch well, he may very well be in the rotation to begin 2009.
- I like Charlie Manuel more than most people, but if he keeps parading out Geoff Jenkins, Eric Bruntlett and Carlos Ruiz in the 6-7-8 hole, I’m going to lose it. Recently, it has been about as effective as throwing out 3 pitchers and I’m completely convinced that Geoff Jenkins is just David Bell with a goatee. When those 3 are in the line-up, it gives us 5 players (including Ryan Howard, and likely the pitcher) hitting .241 or less. Jayson Werth should be playing every day, and Greg Dobbs should be playing more often that not.
- We have a much tougher schedule than the Mets in the next few weeks and if we are still up by a game or more when they visit on August 26th, I think we will be in good shape.
- Speaking of which, I absolutely cannot believe that this team is in first place, and by 2 games no less. Since June 9th, we are 25-26 and have played 2 straight months of inconsistent, mediocre baseball. When our pitchers give us good starts, we don’t hit. When we have our best starter against another team’s worst, we lose. Ryan Howard is one of the worst fielders I have ever seen. Our leader in BA is Shane Victorino, at a lusty .287. Chase Utley is hitting .262 since MAY 1st. Cole Hamels is 9-8. The reigning NL MVP is inexplicably showing up late and uncharacteristically not hustling, all while hitting .274 with an OPS lower than Jorge “I got released twice last year” Cantu. Ryan Howard swings at pitches so outside that the catcher has to dive for them, and that’s not a joke. YET, through all this (and with the help of our godsend bullpen), we are 2 1/2 up (while writing this, we went from 2 to 2 1/2 as the Mets blew a 5-1 lead against the Pirates. Ha!) and if we get on one of our signature August offensive tears, we could run away with the division. Like I said in a previous post, I’m done making predictions with this team, they are completely exasperating.
- Since the all-star break, Victorino leads the team in BA (.318), Runs (16, HR (6) and RBI (16). I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Jenkins, Ruiz and Bruntlett have 5 RBI combined.
- With runners in scoring position and 2 out, Ryan Howard is batting .314, Victorino is batting .256. No other regular is batting above .231. This is certainly an area we could improve.
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Excellent, a baseball topic. Now I can vent in the appropriate area, unlike Friday night. There is a lot of ground to cover here, so I’m going to take it piece by piece as time allows. First up is Brett Myers.
Brett Myers’ numbers might be great, but I still don’t think he’s pitching great. I know it might seem like I’m being negative or nit-picky but, based on what I see when I watch him, I think he is fortunate to be getting the results that he is. It must be noted that two of his four starts have come against Washington and Pittsburgh which, for me, takes a bit of the luster off.
I will say that I have never liked Myers’ mechanics. I don’t like the way his front shoulder flies open, or how early it does so. Also, his head goes with his front shoulder and jerks pretty violently to his left. I realize he is not the only major league ballplayer who has had funky mechanics. I would never teach my boys to use Jeff Bagwell’s batting stance, for example. However, I think it goes beyond that. Myers always seems to be fighting himself and I think he has difficulty consistently reproducing the same delivery every single pitch. I feel that this, more than anything, is the cause for his lack of command.
He still does not have command of his four seam fastball. It is all over the place. He misses his spots with it a lot and when he gets it over it is almost always a fat pitch that gets hit hard. Right before Manuel pulled him on Saturday (more on this later), he threw a high four seamer that was nailed for a double and another one to the next hitter who promptly hit it on the screws, luckily right at Utley. I wish he would stop trying to rebuild his confidence in the four seamer. As far as I’m concerned, he should scrap it in favor of the two seamer, with which he has been having greater success.
The episode on Saturday confirms for me that it is best for us to part ways with Myers after this season. The confrontation with Manuel doesn’t bother me nearly as much as Myers’ attitude on the mound. I don’t see anything good in the fact that Myers needs to work himself up into a barely controlled rage in order to pitch effectively. First of all, I don’t think Myers will be able to get himself into that state 35 times a year. Second, even if he can, he would be living on the edge in every single start. I don’t know how long he can do that before suffering either a physical or a mental breakdown of some sort along the way. I think the dust up with Manuel was an example of the latter.
For me it all comes down to trust. Myers is too much of an uncontrollable, unreliable head case to commit to. The thought of trusting him with 35 starts, or Gordon’s 8th inning slot, scares the hell out of me. I think this year should serve as a cautionary tale with him, and I certainly don’t want to go through another year (and possibly more) like this one. I would rather see us move him too early rather than too late. Hopefully he will pitch well for the remainder of the season and show the rest of the league that he’s “back” so we can swing a good deal while his value is at it’s highest.
That’s enough for tonight. Tomorrow I’ll continue.
forget this…lets talk the Igoudala contract situation some more
C’mon Matto…..This is the baseball season. You can tell because they are still playing games. I could use a break from Iguodala for a while, so I’m going to take advantage of this topic.
Let’s see, where did I leave off last night? I liked the Blanton trade and thought it would turn out to be a good one for the Phils. Like I said before, there are many things to like about him: He goes right after the hitters, he pitches inside to both left and right handed hitters, he uses his high fastball effectively and he has a nice, tight slider that he mixes in well. He seems to be settling in nicely and I expect him to be a solid member of the rotation going forward.
Great news on Carrasco. If the Phils do decide to either trade Myers or move him to the pen, hopefully Carrasco will be able to take a spot in the rotation. If not, he will be ready and waiting in the wings in case of injury or another horrendous beginning to the season by Myers (or dare I say, Eaton).
The bottom of the order has been a problem for years now. Bell, Nunez, Lieberthal, Helms, Jenkins, Ruiz, Bruntlett, have been a persistent black hole. I believe this has been the major reason we have been unable to play “small ball” or score runs consistently. Obviously, in order to score this way, we need to string together several hits, walks, bunts, sac flies, etc…Well, considering we only get 3 outs each time at bat, having 4 consecutive unproductive hitters eliminates any chance we have. We have been scoring pretty much the same way since Bell got here in 2003. That is when the top of the order gets on and the middle hitters drive them in. When the middle of the order starts an inning by getting on base, the bottom of the order lets them die out there, and it is rare when the bottom of the order starts an inning by getting on base, so there is no chance for the top of the order to drive them in. That lack of production at the bottom is severely limiting. There are just not enough outs in an inning to get past them and give someone else a chance to do something productive. This year, it is coupled with below average seasons from a few of the hitters we absolutely need to get on base and drive in runs, so we are left with a very inconsistent, low scoring offense when we do not hit home runs. I agree with you, Pete. I think Manuel is going to have to sell out for offense and take his chances on the defensive side of the ball.
As for the rest of it, Pete has encapsulated it very well. This team is a worthy topic for a doctoral thesis in clinical psychology. It could also serve as a final test of patience and perseverance prior to admission to a Tibetan monastery.
I’m glad to have this topic. Let’s get some baseball talk going.
Kendricks finally got hammered last night as I thought he would more often during this second tour of duty of his. When I watch him (and Moyer) pitch, I retrieve my trusty Adirondack, flip the doughnut on, and start warm-up swings. I give him credit though – average stuff but mentally tough. Plus he put up with that lame, extended, highly publicized Myers/Manuel/Amaro practical joke in Clearwater. Seems like a good team guy. Need him to pull through with quality starts in these last 44. Should get about 8 more opportunities.
Kendrick has been a great surprise for me this year based on pre-season expectations.
I fully expected him to go the way of Tyler Green, Carlton Loewer and Brandon Duckworth, but he hasn’t, and it’s because he has the maturity, intelligence and toughness that Myers lacks. Give him Myers stuff and he’d be an ace.
If he develops a change-up, he’ll be a solid bottom of the rotation guy for the next 4 years for us and as we know, those aren’t easy to find.
edit to the above – based on MY preseason expectations (which were that he would be sent back to minors around June)
Did you see Myers pickin’ his nose in the dugout the other day?…another great moment in sports broadcasting. And then Uncle Cholly yanked ‘im and Brett quivered with anger and remonstration for those in attendance and the TV audience to see. Rednecks’ summit meeting. “Las’ couple, dat boy dun pitch good dough” – C. Manuel
The bottom of the lineup has been absolutely the achilles heal of the Phillies this year. Ruiz has totally regressed and can’t even be considered a major league player. Pedro Feliz has been a bit of a disappointment this year. When the Phillies signed Feliz, everyone knew he didn’t hit for a high average but his power numbers were decent. Well those power numbers have seemed to disappear completely since arriving in Philly. Not sure what it is with the Phillies and finding third basemen….ever since Rolan was shipped out – one experiment after another has failed miserably.
There are two major holes the Phillies need to address in the offseason – 1) catcher. Ruiz stinks and Coste can’t play everyday; 2) a 3B. just get us something reliable!!!!!
E –
agree on Ruiz, disagree on Feliz.
before he got hurt, Feliz was on pace for 20 HR and 76 RBI which is perfectly fine production based on what we thought we were getting. He also plays great defensively and doesn’t strike out a lot.
E…We have had a tough run at 3rd since Schmidt retired, which was back in May of 1989. Rolen has been the best by far (and I think his 5 1/2 years is the longest we’ve had a guy there). The rest of the names are less than impressive…Rick Schu, Charlie Hayes, Dave Hollins (he had a couple good years before he developed Steve Sax Syndrome and became unable to make the throw), Todd Zeile, David Bell, Wes Helms, and Feliz. We can’t forget about the fill ins/heavily used backups/platoon guys such as Placido Polanco, Tomas Perez, Abrahan Nunez, and Greg Dobbs either. Pretty underwhelming for the most part, huh?
3rd base is a tough position for us, but we’re not alone. Just look at the Mets’ history at that position. Maybe we should begin our search by eliminating anyone starting at 3rd base for the Giants (Bell and Feliz) as a possibility. Look on the bright side. When you look between Bowa and Rollins, I think we’ve actually done much worse at shortstop.
I actually wouldn’t mind having Polanco’s bat in the lineup right now. He’d be perfect at keeping rallies going at the bottom of the order. Then again, he’s a natural second baseman and I think he just tolerated third base during his stint here.
Anyway, I haven’t given up on the Phillies. I’ve just given up on trying to figure them out. But in the off-season I think we’ll find out once and for all where the front office really stands (if it isn’t obvious enough already). They’ve just got to go after Sabathia or Sheets. I don’t think I can stomach another year of Hamels, Moyer, and three days of Pepto Bismol.
I was thinking of Steve Carlton recently. Back in the ’70s and early ’80s, every time it was Lefty’s turn in the rotation there was this unmistakeable “We’re gonna win” aura. You could just feel it.
Hamels sometimes gets into that Carlton feel-good zone. Not the same kick-ass feeling, but close. For everyone else – even Moyer and Kendrick – there’s that fingers-crossed, hope-they’ll-pull-it-out feeling. My hat’s off to Moyer and Kendrick though because more often than not they’ve come through. It’s a credit to their baseball IQ and grit. But that Carlton aura just isn’t there, know what I mean?
I’d love to see a rotation of Hamels, Sabathia/Sheets, Carrasco, Blanton, and Kendrick. If Moyer is really coming back next year at age 46 he’s earned a shot in there somewhere. Myers, I just don’t know anymore. Like I said, I’ve given up trying to figure this team out. Let’s just enjoy the ride and hope it ends with an exciting playoff run.
“Anyway, I haven’t given up on the Phillies”
this is kind of what i was talking about in my post. That quote from Drolz would make you think that we are 7 games back, not 2 games up. But I think it’s how a lot of people feel, including myself. This team is underachieving (again), and doesn’t feel like a first place team at all.
as to the rotation next year. I would say there is a 95% chance that we don’t go after CC or Sheets (I wouldn’t go after Sheets, by the way). However, I’m beggining to think that you should either sign a big-time FA and overpay (like Beltran, Soriano, Santana) and then fill out your roster with minor leaguers and gap players rather than distributing that money around to average veterans (Lieber, Eaton, Jenkins, Feliz, Barajas, etc…)
hate to say it, but our 2009 starting rotation on opening day will be:
1. Hamels
2. Blanton
3. Moyer
4. Myers
5. Kendrick
I see Moyer coming back, and I don’t see anyone taking Myers in a trade. I also don’t think that Carrasco should be starting the year in the Majors unless he lights up Spring Training. He’s 22, and I don’t want a Gavin Floyd situation with him.
Drolz…That’s the funny thing about 3rd base for us. We might have been better off if we were able to convert a second baseman like Polanco or Iguchi. I’m ok with Feliz, really. It’s not like he was putting up .300/30/100 seasons until this year and he’s dropped off. He has been pretty much as advertised and I think he is doing just what the Phils expected him to do. His combination of glove and bat is more than we’ve had at 3rd for a few years now. It’s unreasonable to expect great offensive production from every spot on the diamond. The way our infield is constructed we are supposed to be getting big numbers from 1b, 2b, and ss, so we should be able to live with a little less at 3b (not Wes Helms less, but less). I think the fact that we are not getting as much from the other spots makes him seem worse.
Pete…I think you’ve hit on something. Instead of paying more money to middle of the road veterans, we should fill out the roster with minor leaguers. Most likely we will get at least the same level of production (hopefully more since the young guys will be hungry, looking to make a name for themselves, and working toward the big payday). Then we can pool the few million we spend here and there on those guys and go after a stud. We certainly have spots to fill, like a starter, a replacement for Burrell in left, possibly a catcher, or an upgrade in right, to name a few.
I also think you’re right about next year’s rotation (ugh). The Phils really stay committed to guys, so I’m sure Myers will still be around. Don’t forget, reprising the role of Jon Lieber-6th starter will be Adam Eaton, so we’re set, right?
to bski
I was joking. I can’t put into words how sick I am of that topic
Matto…I figured as much. So why don’t you jump in here for a while and talk about the Fightins?
Iguodala is signed – 6 years, $80M per ESPN.com
Finally!
Iggy is locked up!
Gary Sheffield put on waivers….anybody interested?
Pete…No thanks on Sheffield. Have a good vacation. I’ll try to keep the baseball talk going, but those darn Sixers keep stirring everything up and taking over.
The Phillies should go after a top of the rotation pitcher next year and move Myers to the pen. While in the pen he can enhance his trade value as a closer and then we dump his no-class, wife beating ass. I am sick of this dude honestly. The man plays like poop all year and then has a few good starts and then has the audacity to complain to Charlie when he is pulled from a game. F HIM. After the way he pitched early in the year hes lucky to still be on speaking terms with Uncle Chuck.
As far as Carrasco is concerned I am also in the Gavin Floyd school of thought. He has not particularly dazzled the minor leagues, but he has been effective. He got the promotion to AAA and had two really good starts so why not let him lie for a year or two and really develop his skills. This is all the more reason to go after an Ace to pair with Cole. A rotation of Cole, Generic Ace, Blanton, Moyer, Kendrick. Bullpen: Lidge, Myers, Romero, Madson, Durbin…
Sorry for talking about next year already because we are in the middle of a pennant race. Does anyone think that we make a move for another bat in our lineup this year?
I didn’t have time earlier to give my reasons for having no interest in Sheffield, so here goes. After reading quotes like these…
From Sheffield:
From Leyland:
From Dombrowski:
…it is clear to me that Sheffield is unable to be an every day outfielder and we should stay far away from him. We are just asking for a boatload of trouble either way if we pick him up.
t.o. – while on the topic of next year, I have to disagree with you about Myers and Carrasco. I don’t think there is any doubt that the Phillies will give Carrasco every opportunity to pitch his way into the starting rotation during spring training. He has been one of their most coveted prospects ever. I think it is a bad move to think about moving Myers to the pen when we have Lidge locked up for 3 years. Myers had a decent run at closing last season and stepped up huge for the Phillies during their September run, but he has absolutely 0 trade value as a closer and as a starter right now too. Untill Myers contract expires, we will be seeing him in Phillies pinstripes.
I think Phillies money will be better spent in the off-season trying to acquire at least one right handed bat, especially if they do not re-sign Pat Burrell. It is pretty obvious that this is not the same lineup without another solid dependable right handed bat from last year (Aaron Rowand). So before the Phillies overpay for a starter, I think solidifying the lineup with a power and contact right handed bats would better serve the team.
Pete…After last night it is getting more and more difficult to support Manuel. Overall I still think he is doing a good job, but this late inning subbing for Burrell has got to stop.
Taking Burrell out was the wrong move…again. First of all, with Victorino out, we were already down an outfielder. Second, substituting for Burrell has not worked in our favor at any time this entire year that I can recall. There have been several times where the other team has come back to either tie the game or take the lead and we’ve been caught wishing Burrell’s bat was still in the lineup. Last night we wished his arm was still in the field.
We can’t put all the blame for last night’s loss on Taguchi alone. The offense is still putrid, for one thing. Still, Manuel deserves a good chunk of it. Last night is not the first time Manuel has gotten burned by substituting for Burrell. I understand why he wants to do it, buthe cannot continually make the same decision over and over again when it repeatedly does not go in our favor. Manuel can’t get caught up in “playing the percentages” or managing “by the book” in this case when it rarely, if ever, works out for us. Eventually, he’s got to come around to managing based on what is actually happening on the field.
By now, Manuel should certainly be well aware that we are struggling to score runs. As a result, I would expect him to be maximizing our chances to put runs on the board. Our “high-powered” offense is not affording us the opportunity to substitute defense for offense. That means Burrell over Bruntlett and Taguchi, period.
Besides, I don’t think we are making a defensive sacrifice by keeping Burrell in the game. He has around nine assists, (a number which I’m sure would be higher if he remained in every game) and he just made his first error of the season last night. It’s all very frustrating to say the least.
I totally agree that we need a big right handed AB after next year because, as sad as it makes me, I don’t see Pat Burrell with the Phillies next year. I was hearing whispers on 610 and reading some things online and appearently Pat and the Phillies are not even remotely close on the years and dollar amounts offered. His production is going to need to be replaced and I don’t know how they plan on doing it. I think that a productive leftfielder (Jason Werth, Greg Dobbs already on the team) could be found much easier than a top-notch pitcher. If CC or another pitcher of his caliber is available we should be the first team in line to sign them up.
Brett Myers wants to be a closer. He has said it many times b4. He is a whiny little girl and he is uneasy to work with when he doesn’t get his way. We signed Lidge for 3 more years and now he has to deal with the fact that Lidge is not going to mess up so that he can be the Phils savior in the pen like he was last year. I believe that is the reason he was pitching so poorly early on. He had his mind set on moving to the pen and not focusing on the task at hand. So he will pitch his ass off for the rest of this season then get moved to the pen and traded for a sack of baseballs and pine tar next year. FU Brett Myers.
t.o. and E…I agree that we need to add another right handed bat, because it does look like Burrell is as good as gone. While we’re at it, I’d like to get a second one and say goodbye to Jenkins.
Well, things are never boring in Philliesland, are they? We have a lot to cover, so let’s get started.
Another loss to the Dodgers last night (that’s three straight if you’re counting, with LA pulling out the last two in the bottom of the ninth), which drops us into a first place tie with the Mets. This continues our run of sub-.500 baseball over the last nine weeks or so. We are now four weeks past the all star break and have yet to see any sign that our patented second half surge is on the way. I’m afraid our hair pulling isn’t going to end anytime soon.
The biggest problem is the offense. Yes, the starting pitching has been less than stellar, but it has been more than adequate. This team was built to win with offense, not pitching. Taking that into consideration, I feel that the offense should bear the brunt of the criticism. Here are some numbers to back me up, because the overall numbers for the season are deceiving. The Phils hit .265 and scored 5.41 runs per game over the first 69 games this season. Over their last 46 games they have hit .240 and scored 4.13 runs per game. In essence they have gone from one of the top offenses in the league to one of the worst. This has been evident each of the last two nights. Last night the Phils managed just one hit after the first inning! The previous night they got one hit over the last six innings. Simply put, this will not get the job done.
It now seems as though the strain on the bullpen is too much and that the most reliable and consistent part of our ballclub is beginning to falter. I have been saying it here over and over that it was only a matter of time. It is inevitable that a heavily used bullpen is going to suffer some combination of injuries, wearing down, and ineffectiveness as the season progresses. I hope they can hang on, but I am doubtful. The loss of Gordon is adding to the toll. Guys are now pitching in unfamiliar spots. Also, with one less guy in the pen that Manuel trusts, he is using the ones he does trust even more and using the ones he doesn’t trust more than he wants to. This is why I was so against the Phils staying with Eaton and Myers as long as they did. All of those lousy starts by the two of them counted for more than just a loss in those particular games. They exacted a toll on the bullpen that is showing now. It has cost us these last two games against the Dodgers and who knows how many more down the road.
Tonight Brett Myers gets another chance to prove me wrong. I sincerely hope he does because in all likelihood he will be in the rotation next year as well. If so, we need his best.
Jimmy Rollins had to go and open his mouth again. I can understand why he feels that way, up to a point. He is coming off an MVP season and has been very productive over the last several years. In light of that, I feel he has earned and deserves some slack for his sub-par performance this year. After all, everyone has an off year now and then. What he is not getting is that he is bringing a lot of it on himself. I think that showing up late, not running balls out, and having a who cares attitude is more responsible for drawing the fan’s ire than is his diminished performance. His comments will only add fuel to the fire. If we fans were truly frontrunners, we would have stopped going to games a couple months ago. If Rollins would care to look he would see that he is playing before a sellout home crowd virtually every night. It would be nice if he appreciated that fact, or at least recognized it.
Follow up on Rollins remarks:
Rollins went back on the Best Damn Sports Show Period today to clarify his remarks about Phillies fans being front runners.
When I first read about the remarks he made yesterday, it didn’t sit well with me. But after just reading what he said today, I have to say that I agree with him 100%. I appreciate his explanation and give him credit for being forthcoming. It certainly made things clearer and changed my perception of the situation and of him.
I am wondering if the organization pushed him to clarify his remarks, because it’s not something I see him doing on his own. Whatever the case, if his remarks today accurately portray how he truly feels, I am completely fine with his views.
I’m sure Rollins has already put this behind him. Obviously the best way to erase any lingering effects is for him to pick up his level of play and help lead the team to a division title and beyond. I, for one, am hoping he does just that.
the Phillies are ruining my vacation.
pathetic 4-game sweep, and the OFFENSE, the frickin’ OFFENSE is going to be the reason we fall short??? are you kidding me????? It’s like this franchise sits around before each season and figures out the one thing that would crush their fans spirits and then carries out the plan.
Carlos Carrasco watch: 3rd start – 6 IP, 1 ER, 8 K
0.48 ERA with 22 SO in 18.2 IP. That’s damn good.
Pete…You beat me to it today. As I said yesterday (and many other days over the last nine weeks) it’s the offense that’s killing us. It is absolutely putrid, and getting worse. Two hits and one walk is a joke. On the bright side, last night we scored a run playing small ball, which we seldom do. The problem is that it was the only run we scored and our big stick home run hitters were the ones who played small ball. Completely maddening!
Rich Hoffman has a good article about the situation involving Rollins’ comments.
Last thing. Brett Myers is forcing me to move closer and closer to accepting that he has indeed remade himself into a consistent, reliable, starter. I didn’t see him pitch last night, but his line was good and what I’ve read is encouraging. I don’t know what was going on with him up to this point in the season or how he has been able to turn it around, but I am now starting to believe (at least a little anyway) that this is for real.
We’re halfway through August… when exactly are these second half surges supposed to arrive? I think we’ve been a little delusional about waiting for the offense to suddenly come to life. What if it doesn’t? Another valuable year gone by with Rollins, Howard, and Utley only getting older?
Nice to see those numbers by Carrasco though…
p.s Some of those comments under Hoffman’s article are downright scary. I hate the stereotypical “Philly fan” bashing that goes on in the media and other blogs but sometimes…
This is getting more painful by the day. We are now in the middle of a free fall that could deal a final blow to our chances. The pitching has been keeping us more or less afloat for the last nine weeks, but it is starting to look vulnerable. The poor starts and bullpen lapses are becoming more frequent. Not alarmingly so, but enough to cause concern considering we have no margin for error the rest of the way.
It’s looking more and more like we will need our offense to carry us over the final six weeks of the season, but there is absolutely no sign of that happening. Last night was just more of the same, six total hits (only two over the last five innings) and 13 strikeouts. Yes Kendrick was a mess, but three runs is still not getting it done, and we should have been able to do more damage against a guy making his first major league start. You can spin it any way you want, but it’s still all about the offense. We can’t hit good right handers. We can’t hit crafty pitchers who keep us off balance. We can’t hit guys we’ve never seen before. We can’t hit any left handers. On top of that, often times the guys we have a chance at hitting are “on their game” and “crank up a good one” against us. Again, completely maddening.
Please don’t tell me we still have time; that we still have a shot if we can turn it around; that the Mets can still collapse. That was last year…and it’s long gone. We are looking for last year’s club to rescue us, but we need this year’s club to do it, and they are showing no sign that they can. They have the look of a defeated club.
As much as it may sound like it, I will not give up on them. That’s not what I do. I will continue to watch them, support them, pull for them like hell, and get torn up the whole time.
You know, even though this year has been terribly disappointing, what’s really killing me is that, after last year, I was believing again. I really thought this franchise had turned a corner; that we finally assembled a core with which we could win consistently; that we had taken an important step and we wouldn’t look back. I thought that maybe this year could just be one of those off years. But now I’m thinking that maybe last year was the fluke, and it’s unsettling.
Well, while I am happy that we won the weekend series against the Padres, I still don’t feel good about the Phils. After all, the Padres are in the same category as the Braves and the Nationals. Yes a win is a win and the Phils are beating the bad teams in the league, but they are the only teams the Phils are able to beat. On top of that, they are barely beating them! Even though they did win the series, they did it by scoring 6 runs on 18 hits in 3 games! I’m all for trying to find the silver lining, but there is no way you can possibly feel good about that. You also can no longer fool yourself into thinking that this is just a slump that the Phils will break out of.
Every time Howard came up last night, Joe Morgan explained how Howard told him that he has not felt comfortable at the plate all season. Really? He was miserable last night. In his first two at bats, he was getting fastballs down the middle and fouling them off the end of his bat! The scary part is that they were his best at bats of the night. In his third at bat he just stood there looking at two fastballs down the middle. He is absolutely clueless right now. Howard is certainly not the only one struggling. I only single him out because right now he is the most glaring example of our offensive futility. He simply cannot remain in the cleanup spot. He must be dropped in the lineup, since benching him just won’t happen.
Again, thank God for the pitching! I don’t know what more the pitchers could want anyway. I mean you only need one run to win a game. By that standard, Moyer should have been satisfied on Friday night. Hamels should have been ecstatic with the two runs he got last night because it was 200% more runs than Moyer got, which is a considerable increase.
I fully expect to see us win the upcoming series with the Nationals, but I do not expect to feel better about the Phils afterward.
Can’t wait to see J-Rogue’s reception in bottom of 1st tomorrow night. That’ll get his juices flowin’ and restore commitment. Which direction though, is the question – “outtasight” or “outtatown”?
jjg…Check out this link for Cheer Day. Apparently the idea is to give absolute, blind, wildly cheering support to the Phils tomorrow night, since all the negativity doesn’t seem to be working very well.
Interesting idea. I’m curious to see if it will actually happen.
Thanks for the link, bski. Checked it out. Don’t think situational/group behavioral irony will rule Rollins’ first plate appearance, this being Philadelphia. He’ll get a firm and resounding “talking to.” It’ll be the best damned sports show tomorrow night, momentarily at least.
jjg…No problem. I don’t think it is going to happen, but I have to say I wouldn’t mind at all if it did. Many times I feel like we get caught up in too much negativity and it brings me down.
I’m trying to be more of the “life is a journey, not a destination” mindset. I want to get away from thinking that anything less than a championship is a failure. That’s a tough way to follow a team through any season because you are almost always setting yourself up for disappointment. While I certainly would like to see our teams bring home titles, there is something to be said for enjoying each game for what it is all on it’s own, you know?
bski, A demand for hustle and a singular focus on team winning isn’t negative; it’s a loyal fan’s imperitive.
And the right to respond boisterously – when deemed fitting – to slackers, malcontents, underperformers and “extenuaters” is reserved and paid for.
Of course it’s the journey that counts; and the journeys of ‘60, ‘67, ‘74, ‘75, ‘80 & ‘83 were the most memorable and worthwhile…special vicarious rides on the tab of especially committed (and talented) collections of individuals. Hope we get another soon; Philadelphia could use a boost.
jjg…I don’t boo players(it’s just not my thing), but I’m not against it. My problem is with many fans’ judgment in ”deeming when it is fitting”, as you say. If Howard boots a ground ball and you boo at that moment, that’s ok. If Howard boots a ground ball on the road last Wednesday and you boo him when he takes the field for the first game of the homestand, that’s not ok. If Carlos Ruiz strikes out for the second time in the game and leaves runners on 2nd and 3rd, go ahead and boo if you like. It is inappropriate to boo him as he is walking up to the plate for his first at bat in the following game. (Which is exactly what Rollins said bothered him)
As far as Rollins’ remarks, I’m taking the view that it was directed at the small number of chuckleheads that cross the line. We (the knowlegeable, responsible fans) end up getting unjustafiably lumped in with them and labeled as “Philly fans”. So I don’t perceive his comments to be directed at me.
You are correct that, “ A demand for hustle and a singular focus on team winning isn’t negative; it’s a loyal fan’s imperitive” and that it is “reserved and paid for.” That does not absolve us as fans of all responsibility. “Paying good money” for a ticket, etc…does not give us carte blanche to do or say whatever to whoever, wherever and whenever we “deem it fitting”.
All I’m saying is that I will try to enjoy the games as much as I can. It hasn’t been easy this season with the Phils, but I’m sticking with them. I certainly do get aggravated, frustrated, fed up, disappointed, and morebut, that does not diminish my support for the team, nor does it lower my expectations.
Hey, the blog did not accept the HTML tags. My post is a mess. Does this mean that since you’ve updated I can’t use them anymore? What gives?
BSKI/ALL – You don’t have to hand code html anymore. Simply use the nice little buttons you see right above the comment box now. Also, you don’t need to use <html> or <p> tags. They are automatic.
Dannie…Sure, just when I was starting to get those HTML tags down, I don’t need them anymore. Oh well. Thanks for fixing my previous post.